In the United States, natural American cheese types such as cheddar and colby are prepared by coagulating ripened milk of proper Ph with rennet, cutting the coagulant and cooking the curd and whey mixture after which the whey is drained from the curd and the curd is subjected to a variety of treatments after which salt is mixed with the curd granuals or milled pieces. These processes are well known in the art.
In such bulk or continuous methods, the fresh, warm, mellow curd particulates are compressed to remove residual whey and result in curd formation. The cheese tower is well known in the art and the tower causes the curd particulates to become fused and shaped into a single, compacted, green cheese block, standardly rectangular in shape with unit weight of between 40 to 45 pounds or in the case of an average large block, a weight of 640 to 700 pounds. Circular units of 500 pounds are also provided. These methods are well known in the art.
It is common, in traditional processes, to direct these formed bulk blocks into curing aging and ripening areas wherein they may be stored for periods of 15 to 90 days. After such curing, the now cool, firm blocks are removed from their temporary bulk packages, then subdivided to consumer or cheese market size portions which may range from 8 ounce to, for example, 5 and 6 pound unit sizes. When dealing with cheese that has been prepared in bulk blocks, aged, understandably firmed and thereafter trimmed and cut into consumer cheese market size packages, it should be obvious that a dual handling of the cheese is required. Also, when utilizing these traditional methods, the trimming and cutting results in losses which obviously result in per unit price increases. With the applicant's concept of handling the cheese in its green state and bringing it rapidly or immediately, same day of manufacture, to final packaged portions, such dual handling is eliminated, the need for bulk storing facilities is eliminated and the losses of trimming and sizing are substantially reduced.
It is therefore an object of the applicant's invention to provide a system for handling natural American cheeses while they are in the green state which includes the processes of trimming and cutting into consumer or cheese market size portions and immediately packaging the same which will eliminate dual handling of the cheese as occurs with conventional cheeses that are partially or totally cured and thereafter so divided.
It is a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a system for the handling of natural American cheeses such as colby and cheddar while the same is in its green state to allow selection thereof for conventional bulk packaging or direct consumer or cheese market size packaging.
It is still a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a system for handling green cheese including the formation of 40 to 45 pound blocks or blocks of more suitable size of green cheese, trimming and sub-dividing the green cheese into selectable consumer or cheese market size, packaging these portions and thereafter providing the same ready for distribution to the consumer, the curing, aging or ripening process continuing after packaging while the cheese is in its final protective vacuum package to eliminate any possible invasion of foreign elements to the cheese.
It is still a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a system for handling of green cheese which allows inspection as the same exits from a cheese tower and crumbling and reconditioning if it does not meet certain conditions so the cheese may be immediately recycled while in the green state.
It is still a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a handling system for natural American cheeses such as cheddar and colby cheeses wherein dual handling of the cheese and temporary bulk packaging materials are eliminated.
These and other objects and advantages of the applicant's invention will more fully appear from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and description.